Paandachicken does Crossfit

Crossfit. It`s all about community, fitness and fun. Thoughts about training, getting stronger, new experiences and failure.

[paanda-does-crossfit]

Get out, get sore

Trying Muay Thai Beginners Class with Gemma “The Bull” Pike

Shortly after I met Gemma I just fell for her. This women is amazing. She is strong, positive and open minded. She takes everyone in and gives all she got, everyday.

A while back, Gemma told me she was starting to train the beginners class of Muay Thai at her Gym Frenriz in Berlin. She invited my over, coming for a free trail. I am not big at sports besides CrossFit. I thought. I told another Black Sheep member about Gemmas offer and he was pumped to come with me. Still, it took me over 2 month to change a shift at work to be able to join the class.

Finally the big day came, I was about to go to my very first class of a sport I’ve never done, I don’t know anything about and it was supposed to have punches and kicks – which I also have never done before.

Running kinda late I was desperately searching for a spot to park my car, rushed up the stairs and came into this huge open space. I don’t really know what I was expecting. One of those fucked up boxing studios from the movies? A fancy high class thing? I found myself standing in an ocean of shoes and sneakers, everyone was walking barefoot on the mats. So I slipped of my sneakers and found Sven sitting there watching Gemma train.

So, I’ve seen Gemma fight before. I saw her from above in a cage, similar to the one set up at Fenriz, but being so close, seeing nothing but focus and determination was amazing. Also, the sound of fists and her legs hitting the bag were kinda intimidating. As I wrote before, Gemma is super nice. Positive and takes everyone in right away. As soon as she finished her training, she was back to the cute Aussie she usually is.

Lets get to it! The start of the beginners class seemed easy. I was again proven wrong. After going over some simple moves likes jabs and hooks, practicing these things for a few minutes we added footwork. And this was where I started to get confused the first time. Left? Right? What are sides? How do I move my limbs in different directions without tripping, falling and embarrassing myself? I do not know, but I made it somehow.

Followed by this we did something like a warm-up game, pairing up in teams of two we had to train our stance and tap our opponent on the shoulder. If we hit ‘em they had to do some burpee-like push up thing – and continue. I did like 100 of these things. I guess my aim wasn’t the best yet.

Next we started training with pads. And I guess this part is the cause of the incredible soreness of my arms, shoulders and back. Putting on those gym-gloves made clear, if I was coming back I was going to have my god damn own gloves. It was nasty. The smell of cold sweat came of these things with every movement, they were ripped and well used – but they served their purpose. Again, in teams of two, we practiced our punches we just learned in the warm-up. In my imagination I looked very much like these huge blowup-wiggly-things with my arms all over the place throwing random punches at my partner. Changing from the gloves to the sweat covered pads was not the greatest either but at least my fingers could dry of.

After punches, we startet kicks. Once again, I learned that my arms are weak as fuck if they are compared to my legs. I got strong legs. So my kicks weren’t perfect but on Sven’s notice they had a lot of power hitting on the pads.

Probably the weirdest thing about this whole training session was the end. Even tho it was not CrossFit and there was no cheering or huddle in the end, the cool down was super strange to me. As mentioned before, I’ve never done anything like Muay Thai, so shadow boxing felt pretty weird to me. I felt so strange. I was covered in sweat, my body was tired – even I have not completed a huge workout, I was just throwing some punches and kicks on a pad. Right?

Now, two days later, I come to realize that this kind of workout was completely different to what I do in CrossFit. Trying out new sports and leaving your comfort zone is hard but defiantly worth it.

I wanna give a big shout out to Gemma and her gym for the nice training and I will be back for sure for a few more sessions.

Cheers on that, Jules

[paanda-does-crossfit]

Netflix, Crossfit & Me

I never thought Netflix would do anything else to me than making me binge watch my favourite series and fall asleep during some cooking shows.

Well, it proved me wrong. It was the best thing that could ever happen to me. Mid 2016 i was in one of my occasional sporty moods. I signed up to a new gym that opened across the street, got there and used the machines – visiting a body pump class stuck between skinny girls and old lady’s. And when i felt the motivation go away, Netflix gifted me with this awesome movie.

„FITTEST ON EARTH“ was written in big white letters across my screen, Mat Fraser with a barbell above his head – smiling. I got curious in an instant. I watched it, awestruck.

Next thing i know was me, looking up CrossFit boxes in Berlin. I found one close, called up a friend and told her that she needs to come with me for a trial class. She had no idea what I was talking about

I was nervous. Scared of walking in a non-anonymous gym, just knowing I needed to try the stuff I just saw being done by the fittest people on earth.

And this is when things got out of hand. I became addicted to CrossFit in an instant. Black Sheep Athletics Coach Olaf made us do a workout I would be considering easy and fun today. I was dying. Not only during the WOD, the following three days I was sore. But it felt so good!

Since then, I came back for more every week. After a month I came back twice a week, until I spent almost every day at Black Sheep.

Even with working full-time I started going to the gym whenever I could. Being sore became normal and picking on my callouses became my new nervous habit.

Now, I’ve been doing CrossFit for almost 1.5 years. Usually I fall in and out of love with stuff within a few month but not this time.

Why I did not fall out of love with CrossFit

It is a cult. There are so many like-minded people, a community that is not only something happening in your local box. It brings people together all across the globe.

I fell in love with the welcoming feel Black Sheep gave me and that didn’t change since then. And compared to the various gyms I’ve signed up with in my life and the fact that I make friends very easily it was so different.

In every box I trained since I joined my “herd” I was welcomed, introduced to everyone and never felt like anyone was judging, comparing or competing me which is a huge difference to those anonymous gyms because you just don’t know what these other people are doing.

Also, I found my love for barbells and lifting. What I saw back in 2016 on Netflix was not just looking like fun, it was fun! In CrossFit there is always something you can learn. Always a weight you didn’t snatch or deadlifted yet. A technique. A god damn set of double unders you just can’t get done.

Lets get weird – get to know me, myself and my habits

Age: 25 Nicknames: Julia, Jule, Jules, Paandachicken, Paanda Favorite Sports: CrossFit Favourite Exercise: Deadlifts, Squats & Snatches Least Favourite Exercise: Running Deadlift: 125 kg Backsquat: 95 kg Frontsquat: 90 kg Jerk: 70kg Snatch: 50kg Favorite Food: Steak Least Favourite Food: Cheese Favourite movie quote: “You’re entering a world of pain” – The Big Lebowski Morning or Night Person: Night First thing in the morning after getting up: Feed the Cat Do you have a song that reminds you of a relationship/friendship, which is it: I miss you – Blink182 If you could talk in your sleep what would you say: I talk in my sleep. I say weird stuff, calling out a friend and telling her I would tell her tomorrow.. I never remember. What compliment give people you the most: That I am always so positive and get along with almost everyone

That’s it. That is me. Keep on reading and get to know me even better.

Cheers, Jules